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Helnl Radio News Service
7/3/46
I’M A CATHOLIC MYSELF, SAYS ARCHIE, APOLOGIZING FOR DUFFY1 S
Representative Thomas J. Lane (D), of Massachusetts, who recently told the House of Representatives about a complaint he hsd received charging that a St. Patrick* s Day program of Duffy’s Tavern over the National Broadcasting Company, sponsored by the Bristol-Myers Company of New York had proved offensive to the Irish Catholic people, advised his colleagues that Ed Gardner, principal character in "Duffy’s" had apologized saying the furtherest thing from his mind was to offend. Gardner pointed out the fact that he was a Catholic himself end furthermore when in Italy last Summer had been received at a private audience by the Pope.
Representative Lane, extending his remarks in the House last week, inserted a letter from J. M. Allen, Vice-President of Bristol-Myers, which read in part: (Letter to Edward Gardner)
"Duffy’s Tavern has recently been the subject of consider¬ able criticism as a result of your St. Patrick’s Day program and the program of May 31,
ttSt. Patrick is, of course, a revered patron saint to the Catholic Church, as indicated by the celebration of his day on March 17, and any reference to brawling or excessive drinking to celebrate is considered unbecoming disrespect.
"On your May 31 program the ooening telephone monolog with Duffy made reference to a wake, which was interpreted as ridi¬ culing those of the Catholic faith and Irish ancestry by mocking the custom of waking the dead. It Is claimed that this traditional observance of paying respect to the dead is held in high reverence by many millions of our fellow Americans.
"It is clear, in view of the reactions, that you and we were guilty of poor judgment in permitting this material to be used, and since it is our purpose to offend no one with our Duffy’s Tavern programs, I want you to instruct your writers that, in the future, no references whatever are to be made to any religious functions of any church. "
Mr. Gardner replied from Los Angeles:
"I’m sorry to learn from your letter that there was any offense taken as a result of our program of May 31. Also the one on St. Patrick* s Day.
"I assure you that it was completely unintentional and furtherest from our thoughts to give the impression that the mater¬ ial used in these programs was designed to do anything other than create fun in the Tavern.
"As you know, I’m a Catholic myself (with a priest for a godfather, incidentally), and one of the proudest moments of my life occurred last Summer while I was entertaining our troops in
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